Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsies for mediastinal lesions and lymph node diagnosis and staging

OBJECTIVES: To disseminate transesophageal ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) as an alternative to investigate mediastinal tumoral lesions because it is an underused modality that has been available in Brazil for more than 15 years. METHODS: Descriptive analysis of a single endoscopy service's experience since 1997 in the accomplishment of EUSFNA for mediastinal staging of previously known malignancies (Group 1) or diagnostic definition of suspect lymph nodes and masses (Group 2). RESULTS: EUS-FNA was performed in 51 patients between 26 and 87 years of age. The diameter of the lesions ranged between 1.1 and 9.8 cm (mean 3.9 cm). Their location corresponded to the following stations: higher paratracheal (4 cases), lower paratracheal (7), aortic window (12), para-aortic (6), subcarinal (9), paraesophageal (8), and hilar (5). In Group 1, 17 patients had previously diagnosed primary lung (9), breast (4), kidney (2), colon (1), and bladder (1) cancer. Fifteen of these punctures were positive for malignity. Two others were later submitted to mediastinoscopy, which identified metastases not detected by EUS-FNA. Group 2 comprised 34 patients. Among these patients, EUS-FNA diagnosed 22 neoplasms, five cases of tuberculosis and two duplication cysts. Cytology was inconclusive or without a specific diagnosis in five other cases. Mediastinoscopy identified two undiagnosed cases of oat-cell carcinoma, one lymphoma and one cryptococcosis, and confirmed one reactive lymphadenitis. There were no complications related to the method. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-FNA obviated the need for surgical procedures in 86.3 percent of cases. Therefore, oncologists, pulmonologists, and thoracic surgeons should always remember the technique's potential and availability.

High prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis and other mycobacteria among HIV-infected patients in Brazil: a systematic review

There is a little-noticed trend involving human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients suspected of having tuberculosis: the triple-treatment regimen recommended in Brazil for years has been potentially ineffective in over 30 percent of the cases. This proportion may be attributable to drug resistance (to at least 1 drug) and/or to infection with non-tuberculous mycobacteria. This evidence was not disclosed in official statistics, but arose from a systematic review of a few regional studies in which the diagnosis was reliably confirmed by mycobacterial culture. This paper clarifies that there has long been ample evidence for the potential benefits of a four-drug regimen for co-infected patients in Brazil and it reinforces the need for determining the species and drug susceptibility in all positive cultures from HIV-positive patients.

Pain in hospitalized HIV-positive patients: clinical and therapeutical issues

Pain is frequently reported by patients infected with Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and its causes and specific treatment should be appropriately investigated. We evaluated 197 hospitalized HIV-positive patients with serial interviews and analysis of prescriptions and clinical evolution charts. The main characteristics of pain reported by these patients were: high intensity (60.7 percent), high frequency (72.0 percent) and well-known causes (88.8 percent). Fifty-two per cent of the patients reported persistent or frequent pain during the two weeks before hospital admission. Parameters such as gender, educational level and Karnofsky Index showed no direct relation to the presence or absence of pain. The most commonly affected sites were the head (28.0 percent) and the abdomen (26.2 percent). The frequency of indications of pain in the clinical evolution charts (46.2 percent) was considerably lower than the frequency of complaints reported by patients during the interviews (76.3 percent). Pain was undertreated in 83.2 percent of patients, both due to poor efficacy of the prescribed medications and to the excessive and inefficient use of standing order ("if necessary") regimens. We observed that pain was better managed during the hospitalization period, although this cannot be explained by improvement of the analgesic treatment; it might be due to successful treatment of the underlying disease. We concluded that pain reported by hospitalized HIV-positive patients is often underestimated and inadequately treated by assisting doctors, in spite of its severity and frequency.

Importância do diagnóstico histológico na avaliaçäo mediastinal do câncer do pulmäo

The presence of mediastinal lymph node metastasis in lung cancer has a great influence in treatment selection and prohnosis and the diagnosis of lymphatic metastasis must be accurate. CT chest scans and mediastinoscopy are the diagnostic tools available to detect mediastinal lymph nose metastases and tostabilish pre operative staging. Lymph node size evaluated by CT scans is not an acceptable criterion in our patients. The aim of this study is to find out a representative pattern of size to indicate the possibility of neoplasic invasion in our population. 50 consecutive patients were operated on and underwent pulmonary resection to treat lung cancer. 74 por cento of the lymph nodes with transversesection of than 3 cm had no neoplasic invasion. CT scand and mediastinoscopy have similar sensitivity ( close to 65 por cento ) but mediastinoscopy has higher specificity ( cem por cento ). This means that we must have histologic confirmation of any suspected lymph node to achieve a correct staging

Broncoscopia no diagnóstico de tuberculose: papel da biópsia transbrÖnquica em imunocompetentes e em HIV-positivo / Bronchoscopy in the diagnostic of tuberculosis: their role of transbronchial biopsy in HIV-infected and in immunocompetent patients

INTRODUÇÄO: A broncoscopia figura como opçäo diagnóstica frente a um paciente com suspeita de tuberculose e escarro "negativo". Neste contexto säo objetivos do trabalho: avaliar o redimento do lavado broncoalveolar (LBA) e da biópsia transbrônquica (BTB) nos pacientes HIV-positivo (grupo 1) e em indivíduos imunocompetentes (grupo 2), utilizando técnicas de procedimento laboratorial simples e facilmente disponíneis na prática clínica. CASUISTICA E METODOLOGIA: Foram realizadas 319 broncoscopias em 302 doentes. Todos os exames incluíram a inspeçäo endoscópica das vias aérea seguida da coleta do LBA e da BTB no pulmäo ipsilateral. O diagnóstico de tuberculose foi estabelecido em funçäo da pesquisa direta de BAAR no lavado (zn), da cultura para micobactérias (Lj) e do estudo histológico das biópsias (HE e zn). RESULTADO: O diagnóstico de tuberculose foi estabelecido em 28 dos 214 exames do grupo 1 e em 35 dos 105 casos do grupo 2. Destes, havia alteraçöes endoscópicas respectivamente em 3 e 10 pacientes. No grupo 1 a pesquisa direta foi positiva em 7 exames, a cultura do lavado em 14 e a biópsia transbrônquica em 19. No grupo 2 a pesquisa direta foi positiva em 7 exames, a cultura do lavado em 14 e a biópsia em 31. Os dados obtidos pela BTB comparados com os do LBA foram concordantes no grupo 1 (p = 0,823) e discordantes no grupo 2 (p = 0,022). Os resultados imediatos (pesquisa direta e BTB) comparados com a positividade tardia da cultura foram semelhantes no grupo 1 (p = 0,066) e discordantes no grupo 2 (p < 0,001). Houve oito episódios de pneumotórax (2,5 por cento) e um óbito (0,3 por cento). CONCLUSÖES: A BTB isoladamente aumenta o redimento da broncoscopia e, sempre que possível, tanto o LBA quanto a BTB devem ser realizados no sentido de otimizar o diagnóstico de tuberculose. Os resultados dos dois métodos säo complementares nos pacientes imunocompetemtes e, nos HIV-positivo, a BTB confere maior rapidez diagnóstica ao ser associada à pesquisa direta de BAAR no lavado

Lavado broncoalveolar "versus" biópsia transbrônica em pacientes HIV positivos: análise comparativa de 287 exames / Bronchoalveolar lavage versus transbronchial biopsy in patients infected with the human immunode ficiency virus: comparative analysis of 287 examinations

Foram realizadas 287 broncoscopias em 267 pacientes infectados pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV). Em todos os exames procedeu se à coleta do lavado broncoalveolar (BTB) no pulmäo ipsilateral. As amostras foram submetidas a técnicas laboratoriais (microbiologia e estudo histológico) de rotina. A idade dos doentes variou entre 16 e 78 anos (mediana de 37,2),sendo 228 homens(85,4 por cento)e 39 mulheres.Dispnéia foi a queixa principal em 198 casos(69,0 por cento)e o infiltrado intersticial(difuso ou localizado)à radiografia simples foi o achado mais freqüente,em 179 ocasiöes (62,4 por cento). A inspeçäo endoscópica das vias respiratórias foi normal em 246 casos(85,7 por cento).Lesöes mucosas características de sarcoma Kaposi foram verificadas em 12 pacientes(4,2 por cento). O LBA permitiu a identificaçäo de 97 agentes infecciosos,havendo associaçäo de duas etiologias no mesmo doente em 3 casos. A BTB diagnosticou 165 infecçöes (9 das quais associadas ),implicando uma maior positividade que o LBA no diagnóstico de pneumocistose(84 e 51 ,respectivamente) e de citomegalovirose (35 e 0).

Avaliaçäo mediastinal no estadiamento do câncer do pulmäo / Mediastinal evaluation in lung cancer staging

INTRODUÇÄO: A presença da linfonodos mediastinais comprometidos no câncer do pulmäo tem implicaçöes terapêuticas e prognósticas importantes e, por isso, o diagnóstico deve ser o mais presciso possível. OBJETIVO: Determinar um padräo de tamanho para considerar um linfonodo comprometido e avaliar a eficiência da tomografia computadorizada e mediastinoscopia no estadiamento linfático do câncer pulmonar. MÉTODO: Cinqüenta pacientes portadores de câncer pulmonar operável foram submetidos a um protocolo prospectivo. todos foram examinados, submetidos a tomografia computadorizada e mediastinoscopia pré-operatória; a operaçäo consistiu na ressecçäo pulmonar compatível e esvaziamento mediastinal radical. A posiçäo e o tamanho dos linfonodos achados na operaçäo foram comparados com os resultados da tomografia e mediastinoscopia prévias. CONCLUSÖES: O estudo mostrou que exixte relaçäo näo linear entre o tamanho dos linfonodos e o comprometimento linfático. O tamanho dos linfonodos näo é um padräo adequado no nosso meio, já que linfonodos maiores que 3cm têm menos de 30 por cento de possibilidade de ser comprometidos. Isso faz com que a especificidade da tomografia seja baixa (63 por cento). Embora a sensibilidade da mediastinoscopia tambêm seja baixa, sua especificidade é de 100 por cento. Os autores concluem que métodos de estadiamento como a mediastinoscopia deveräo ser criteriosamente indicados quando houver sinais de linfonodos aumentados na tomografia